“The whole dissident idea attracts a lot of crazies. And then all of a sudden, without realizing it, you've become one of them." Peter Duesberg, 2009

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Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Tommy Morrison died Sunday night of an
undisclosed illness. But for all intents and purposes, he died of denial.

In
1996, Morrison was diagnosed with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. In 1997, he
told me he was still having unprotected sex with his first wife.

"I'll
trust an attorney before I'll trust a doctor," he said.

I'm
not sure how many wives he ended up with (I lost count after the fourth), but
nothing ever changed. His last wife, Trisha, recently told ESPN.com's Elizabeth
Merrill that they, too, had had unprotected sex. As far as Tommy was concerned,
his HIV never existed. He searched high and low for rogue doctors who would
assure him he was fine, who would clear him to go back to boxing. He was
nothing without boxing, nothing without sex -- so he looked the other way.

He
tried AZT for a month and threw it in the trash; he thought the HIV therapy
drug taken by most HIV patients was propoganda. His family staged an
intervention to get him back on meds, but he cursed at them and said, "I
will lay down and die before I take any drugs." Magic Johnson tried to
reach out to him in 1996 -- the same Magic Johnson who is thriving 22 years
after his own HIV diagnosis -- and Tommy Morrison plum ignored him.

"I
remember talking to Magic the day I announced I had HIV," Morrison told me
in 1998. "He was preaching, 'Do what your doctor tells you.' Well, I
didn't have a doctor then, so I got down on my knees and I prayed. Every day, I
was like, 'God, what do I do?' Hell, I saw myself dying. And then I started
getting all these books in the mail, and they all said, 'Don't worry about it.
Just live your life.' So that's what I did."

Morrison
was a distant relative of John Wayne. But the problem was he lived his whole
life like he was in the Wild West. His mother gave him his first tattoo. And
his father gave him his first woman -- at a strip club when Tommy was 14.

They
entered him, as an eighth-grader, in "tough man" contests. In other
words, his parents essentially signed him up for bar fights. That's how he made
his name. That and setting fire to his high school football field when he was
cut from the team.

The
best thing he had going was his blue eyes, his blond hair and muscles on top of
muscles. He moved to Kansas City, got a promoter and entered the fight game.
Morrison would later admit to me that he was on steroids, but Sylvester
Stallone couldn't take his eyes off of him and cast him as Tommy Gunn in
"Rocky V."

As
a writer for the New York Times, I later watched him defeat 44-year-old George
Foreman in Las Vegas for a heavyweight title. That night, while they were
clenching seconds before the final bell, Foreman whispered to the new champ:
"Don't curse in public." Morrison must not have heard him.

He
would later be arrested for multiple DUIs and was always allegedly profane with
the police officers. Morrison and Stallone had had a falling out by then. So
had Tommy and his trainer. But Bill Cayton was his manager, and had Morrison
not been diagnosed with HIV, Cayton was about to get him a deal to fight Mike
Tyson. The hype would have been through the roof, or at least through the MGM
Grand.

But
after the diagnosis, Morrison became a pariah. His words were mumbled and
nonsensical. His family assumed he contracted HIV from a dirty steroid needle,
but there was no discussing it with him, no discussing anything with him.
Before the new millennium, he bought a cave, convinced that the world was coming
to an end at the stroke of midnight on Jan. 1, 2000. That's where he slept on
Dec. 31, 1999 -- delusional then, and obviously in the years to come.

He
had a good heart. That was never the issue. He was friendly, would talk to any
kid. But he would also talk to animals, too. He once did an interview with me
with his cat in his arms.

He
died Sunday at the age of 44, the same age Foreman was when Morrison beat him
for the title. Hopefully, he finally took George's advice. Hopefully, Tommy
Morrison wasn't cursing at the end.

59 comments:

Good old Elizabeth Ely wrote this at RA facebook:Elizabeth ElyTo those AIDS "activists" rejoicing at Tommy Morrison's death: "Have you, sir, at long last, no decency?"

Of course she neglects to give even one specific example. No one is rejoicing except for the AIDS Denialists who are rejoicing that Tommy had other ailments so they have something to SPIN his death with. What a bunch of.....

Tomas Brewster and Christine Johnson are going at it big time. Calling each other idiots and so forth. And it's not just them. Brewster let Clark Baker have it as well. And others are jumping into the fray.

I was a fan of Tommy Morrison when he boxed. When I heard about his death, it was the first time I heard about HIV denialists, and I was intrigued. I'm a physician and I was a med student during the late 90s when protease inhibitors first became available. I can remember AIDS patients who were close to death suddenly have remarkable improvement. I consider this therapy to be one of the greatest triumphs of medical science in the last generation. I can understand people being skeptical of AZT during the 1980s when much less was known. The term that comes to mind to describe HIV denialists is "cognitive dissonance". As more and more evidence mounts which proves them wrong, they still cannot admit that they're incorrect. I only hope that more people don't get suckered into rejecting this effective therapy, as Tommy Morrison did.

It is hard to believe. I first heard about it when I delivered a talk on vaccine denial and why we should care.

Unfortunately, thousands upon thousands of people have already died of AIDS denial, particularly in South Africa where people were selling lemon juice and vitamins instead of needed drugs. But, luckily, the case is slowly making itself. And also, luckily, the AIDS deniers like the Holocaust deniers, are their own worst enemies. If you can get them to talk long enough, they will reveal themselves for the paranoid, crazed, often spiteful bigots they are. Even they cannot stand each other.

AHAHAHAA...where copied this article? espn? ahahahhahaha please at least should have approached the hospital to find out the truth?

ahahaha and that has to do magic here? he is THE "hiv jesus"? ahahhatransmissions up to parties has spoken of his "alleged" HIV. so dear editorsat least take the time to wait any article made ​​by any official website in response to this article, to finish "swallow" this storyahahahahaha

Does something wrong, the laugh of this: ARTICLE SPORTS?For that it is it, a SPORTS ARTICLE written by SPORTS JOURNALISTS

Alone where they speak and speak (as many here)On the death of a pèrsona.,Without being doctors and without reading the medical report

But this SPORTS article is very enterteining, For that it looks like a GREEK EPIC , Where " THE GREEK GOD OF THE HIV " magic jhonson, tries to save the poor fighter, And since I do not listen to the Greek god,The Olympus was bad with the poor "gladiator"

I wrote that article, with info from Trisha Morrison. You know what...you people just make me wonder. What is this? A medical condition or a fight for who's god is the real one. Just reading all of this makes me shake my head...I just don't get it.

"As for electron microscopy of blood, it has bee explained many times why you are EXTREMELY unlikely to directly see any viruses"

So what is the correct method? The virgin mary appearing and telling us all where to find it. No wait...the antibody test or PCR.

For crying out loud. No doubt you're gonna have your saying about me too now. John Strangis you rat bastards, have at it. Have a good laugh, use my name in your future posts if you feel like doing so. Have fun.

I thought you guys did not like to dance on graves? You find Tommy's death funny? Magic Johnson had to give up a great career in basketball. Was that funny too?

Everyone is going to be sick someday. Nobody should find this funny. How would you like people laughing at your illness or death?

Illness is a reality my friend. No cause for dancing.

It is especially sad when life is cut short young. Needless death is sad. But sadder still is the denialist brain- your brain is a terrible thing to waste. Don't use it to encourage your friends like Karri to throw their lives away. Choose life.

We Perthians agree that electron microscopy is useless- you can't see HIV because it does not exist!

That Dario is a megalo-maniac completely typical of your Duesbergian. In fact, it sounds like Duesberg himself! Stop these crazies! Stop Duesberg, Farber, Miltenberg, Gary Null and all the rest of these nuts.

The Perthians agree that Duesberg Denialists have become unhinged. They are melting down in their self-contradictions. Get with it! You are playing into the hands of scientists by relying on scientific microscopy.

Would you mind actually have someone who speaks English write your responses for you? Google translate makes your untintelligable rubbish seem even more stupid. Thank you for your cooperation in this matter, "dario".Sincerely,Clark Baker

Don't know who you are referring to as an "aging" meth tranny, Clark. And I don't know what you mean by a reference to "Breaking Bad" being a "fixation." I do know that almost 7 million people watched the finale though.

Why everybody make fun of my cousin Clark Baker?!!! Meester Clarkie is number one boolsheeter in US of A! He is very important man who knows very important people like a Meesus Cecilia Farter. Meester Clarkie Baker is from mean streets of Los Angeles and is very important agent. Please no make fun of my cousin. Just because he born retarded doesn't mean you should make fun of him.

I spent many hours "debating" with Gos on the net over the years. Some people would say that was a waste of time, because I never succeeded in getting him to accept the reality of having HIV/AIDS.

He was irritating, bombastic and stubborn. But at the same time, even though he annoyed me immensely - or perhaps because he did - I couldn't help feeling enormous affection for the guy. He could be funny, sometimes smart, sometimes generous, sometimes insightful, and despite everything he compelled people to like him. And you can't say that about many people you only know through the net.

So, despite everything, I don't think it was not a waste of time.

I am genuinely sad at his death, and for those who loved him in that strange zone known as "real life" I hope you will accept my condolences.

The following was posted on facebook a few hours ago by "Gabriele Aldestein".

re. @Gos Blank's autopsy

Lisa Dugger posted to Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness

Hello all of you. Thank you for all of your support regarding my husband's death on 10/13. Despite the hospital doctors saying he died of AIDS, the official cause of death on the certificate is bronchopneumonia and Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome.

I got the preliminary autopsy today. No where does it mention pulmonary fibrosis or PCP pneumonia. Both of which is what the doctors said my husband had. The final report that includes all of the findings will take another 5-6 weeks.

Snout is right. I also sincerely mourn all who have died at Clark's hands.

I had correspondence with Karri Stokely. I did everything possible. I told her to take the meds and tell the world she didn't take them. I told her there was no need to die for ideology.

I wrote to David Crowe and leaders of the denialists. I asked them not to let Karri die. I told them to tell the world anything they wanted- continue to denounce science, but don't let their friend die.

Karri died a horrible death alone. She regretted what she had done.

Many of the dying and dead denialists had a wonderful spirit, and were good persons. Clark Baker knew what he was doing, he loaded the gun, and gave it to people who trusted him.

Clark Baker is guilty of medical genocide, and of betraying his clients. Why does he do it? He is smart enough to know his deceit is killing his friends.

How can this man live with himself? I feel sorry for Clark. It must be terrible to live knowing that he is fully guilty.

I don't know if he is sane enough to reflect on what he has done. I think he fully believes that he is an unrecognized scientific and legal genius at this point, and that the proof is just around the corner. He has been lying so long, he cannot accept the truth.

Every positive front figure the denialists has dies,like Maria Papagiannidou-St Pierre,Emery Taylor,Kim Bannon,Karri Stokely,Tommy Morrison and Gos Blank,average age around 40 i would guess,but Peter Duesberg,David Rasnick,Etienne de Harven,Karry Mullis,Clark Baker and David Crowe continues to live into old age....Coincidence?!

Viruses don't even exist, De Harven has halfway admitted this by saying the exogenous element is non existent, but clings to an endogenous existence, I think neither exist. All diseases can be more or less explained by cellular/molecular deficiency and imbalance. What causes AIDS? Many things, mostly related to endogenous not exogenous elements.

You "think"."More or less" Unfortunately, the rest of the world has actual evidence that your "cellular deficiency" is caused by pathogens killing off the cells. Depending on the disease, this can often be observed in real time.

Please stop insulting Clark. He is a poet. A philosopher. A top-secret agent and investigative genius! An undiscovered science prodigy exposing the frauds perpetuated on all of us! Clark Baker is a sexy, sexy doughboy that studied humanity on the streets of Calcutta! This man is not a tool, he is a resource! A national treasure!

If Clark really believes what he says, why doesn't he stand and fight like a man? Why does he hide behind his not-so-clever blogs?

If Clark really believes what he says, he would stop at nothing. He rattles sabers, but when the going gets tough he takes off!

Admit it Clark- you are willing to see your clients die of AIDS, but you aren't really going to face any of us real men or real women.

Enlarge your reading of Shakespeare Clark! Clark is but a walking shadow, a poor player, that struts and frets his hour upon the stage, and then Clark is heard no more; Clark is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

No new commentry, obviously your pharma-funding has dried up finally. Still, got Gates Foundation to mild for canapes now, just change the headings to Vaccine Denialists and apply your famous toxic dissonance theorem on them, perhaps Joe Newton could attempt to infiltrate the vaccine denialists. Troll.

Read Ben Goldacre and keep up with Bad Science

Don't Get Fooled Again: The Skeptic's Guide to Life by Richard Wilson

AIDS Denialism on Law & Order

If you missed the Law & Order episode 'Retro' on AIDS denialism you will want to see the 2-minute Replay. This episode portrays a woman who denies she has HIV in which she and her infant daughter both die of AIDS. Sound familiar? Click the pic to watch.

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In Denying AIDS, Seth Kalichman provides a fascinating look into the thinking of those who propagate AIDS myths and the negative impact they have on our response to a deadly disease. He shows us how AIDS pseudoscience confuses the public and threatens sound public health policy. Anyone who cares about the global HIV/AIDS pandemic should read this book. Helene D. Gayle, Chair of the 2009 US Presidential Council on AIDS, CEO CARE USA, former Assistant Surgeon GeneralSeth Kalichman brilliantly uses a psychological lens to expose the wacky world that creates and maintains its presence despite the untold numbers of deaths and suffering it has caused. This book is a wake up call to policy makers and scientists, particularly in places most affected by the pandemic, that denialism must be confronted if we want to bring it under control. A must read for those who want to know more about the power and influence of pseudoscience.Michael Merson, Director, Global Health Institute at Duke University and Former Director of the World Health Organization's Global Program on AIDS.

This excellent book examines the detailed history of HIV/AIDS denialism as well as its damaging impact throughout the world. HIV/AIDS denialism and its proponents have created confusion when the clear provision of scientifically accurate communication was most needed.James Curran, Dean of the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University, Former Director of the CDC HIV/AIDS Division.

Seth Kalichman has superbly captured the contradictions inherent in AIDS denialism. He has deftly uncovered its religious-like fervor, its vociferous proponents and passionate opponents as well as its destructive force when legitimized by the South African President.Salim S. Abdool Karim, Member of the 2000 South African Presidential Panelon AIDS, Professor at University of KwaZulu-Natal, and Director of Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA)

Royalties from Denying AIDS are donated to buy HIV treatments in Africa